That is one way of putting it..

 

Truth right there

 

I never understood why people do that either,,,,If you don't like something the way it is,,Dont buy it.

 

LOL been there, done that.

 

Prob is lots of people don't realize what they don't like until they get their own rifle. Many tell themselves they'll just get some basic and upgrade as they go. Then there's those who get one and have it on a mil spec set up till one day they get their hands on someone else's who's been upgraded with various parts. See, you don't k ow what youre missing till you try it.

Then there's the guys who pink their rifle out with all sorts of stuff which they envision needing at some point. Well they one day take a good class and actually get to put a good number of rounds thru the rifle from various positions and they again began to realize some of the stuff they thought they needed wasn't what they needed.

 

The only two things I took off/changed on my primary AR are the trigger guard and charging handle. But I sure added a whole lotta crap.

EDIT: oh, and the trigger. But it's just a $60 ACT

 

Orrrrrr Some people just like to tinker. That's why I have all that I do. They are really fun to tinker with.

 

The Barbie Dolls of assault weapons. Plus some of us (hand raised) didn't know jack squat the first time we bought one.

(hand still raised)

 

I get the point, but the prices were high on some. $250 for a handguard!!

 

That price isn't out of line for most of the better models available

 

I've built and bought probably fifteen different rifles, a couple pistols, a 20" DMM rifle, etc, etc, and still....after three or four years, my go to rifle is the first one I ever built, plain Jane, iron sights, MOE handguard, frankenrifle, and I LOVE that ugly ole heifer....she's got probably 6-7K rounds through it, I beat the piss out of it, and, thanks to horse trading for some target steel and some other range goodies, I've got less than $300 bucks in it....

 

$1300-$1500 for the gun of your dreams? Shoot, mine cost $650 and does just fine! Look for quality, useful parts on sale or used and cut his price in half.

 

Look for quality, useful parts on sale or used and cut his price in half.

Few people have the patience for that. I've done my best to get my friends to hold off on black friday/Christmas/tax time sales but few ever listen. Gotta have it now.

 

Put a 230 dollar trigger in a 550 dollar rifle(M&P sport) shot 1st year 3 gun with it and still have it. Oh and a 250 hand guard, it still shoots 3 in groups at 300

 

Well guess I am a fool with his money then, because I still have it.

 

The only thing I added to my M&P15-22 MOE is the 12 piece rubber rail guard kit.
Only addition to my wife's M&P15 Sport is a Bushnell red dot scope.
Later on, if the budget and skill set allow, I would like to build my own left handed AR. But until then, Off the shelf suits me just fine.

 

That's why I built my ARs from scratch. I bought my very first one complete, and sold it as I bought it except I changed the handguard to a quad rail. Since then, I haven't bought anything complete except for a complete AR57 upper. Piecing things together on your own and getting everything done once is the best way to go about it IMO. Buy once, cry once.

 

I built my first one and will never buy a built one.

Even building it the first time, I probably have twice what it is worth into it. Like Wahoo says, when you're a noob at it your tastes change and you want different stuff.
For example, I started with a RRA two stage and a 3x9 on a benchy style AR, but soon realized I wanted a more 3-gun style, so now it has a single stage trigger and a 1x4.
So I could have built a new rifle (and paid for it) or just change mine a bit.

That's precisely why AR's are so fun! I have as much fun dicking around with it as I do shooting it. Can't shoot it all the time.

I dick with nearly all my guns. I have a $500 CZ75 that I have put a good 300-400 in as well. Shoots a lot better I promise you!

 

I like mine on the plane Jane side, so I don't put much in the way of accessories on mine. Nylon strap for a sling, Magpul stock and hand guard, and iron sights. Call it done. I bought my first one, and 'upgraded' it, and my 2nd, I built from parts. The one I built myself is rapidly becoming my favorite rifle. Gotta love the mid-length gas system.

Currently collecting parts for a 3rd build. Thinking rifle length for this one.

 

Lower- 100
Lpk- 60
Trigger- 200
Grip- 30
Stock- 80
Extension- 40
Trigger guard- 20
BAD lever- 25
Upper- 100
Barrel- 300
Nut- 10
Comp- 40
MBUS- 90
CH- 50
Rail- 180
Gas block- 60
Gas tube- 15
Sling point- 30
Hand stop- 45

AR just like I like it: $1475 before the optic

Sure, it could be done cheaper, but it is all high(er) end parts, and shoots like a dream.

 

Bought my first one, then sunk alot of money in it making it "mine." Have built all the rest and had fun doing it. Will never buy an already built AR again.

 

The problem with AR's or anything else is you don't know what you don't know. I bet most people who buy an AR don't know about half the mods they end up doing to their rifle until after they have had their rifle for a while. I did a ton of research before buying my first rifle and the list of options on an AR is daunting to a newbie. Luckily, the only thing I had to do to mine was add optics. I did decide that I hate single point slings though.

 

I bought a Bushmaster at the GSO gun show about 15 years ago. Had a collapsable stock on it, but that was about it. I didnt know anything about "building" AR's then. Man, the first month...rails, flashlights, handles, Scope, washing machine, track lighting...65 lbs later....Man, this isn't fun. Then, I decided I didnt like the "stuff" and I was doing more "work " with the rifle, self defense, etc. instead of a farm gun. Then: Slick rail, small high intensity LED light, hogue grip, MOE stock, single point sling adapter. 15 years later, I have the same gun, and I can give you a lot of advice on the good and bad stuff, and what works, wont wont. I also can fix my own rifle, and troubleshoot it. Guess I didn't realize I was buying a AR college education at the gun show that day.

I "built" my AR 308 and bought exactly what I wanted the first time, and it is what I want the first time. Glad I had the previous "store bought" AR to teach me a few lessons.

 

I learned from all the mistakes I read about here. My first purchase was a bare bones stock M4gery carbine just to see if I liked the AR at all. My next was pieces and parts to build a lower and learn more. So I got my education without "wasting" anything - I have two rifles that I could turn over tomorrow and get 90+% of my money out of them AND I know what I want next.

 

Same here. Bought a bone stock DPMS Oracle before Newtown and put a middle of the road red dot on it. Added a quad rail because at the time, I thought I might want to put other stuff on it. It's still like that but in the mean time, I have built 3 other AR's. A .22, a 9mm and a bench gun in .223 Wylde.

I learned a lot and now have these guns right where I want them at this point in time. The DPMS will probably get a FF handrail to replace the quad rail but I don't see any other major changes for it.